7 tips on how to create a videogame character

What’s your favorite character? Of course, everyone has at least one…

Whether they acknowledge it or not, everyone has a favorite video game character. You can ask just about anybody who plays video games who is their favorite one, and they’ll tell you. They don’t even have to be gamers themselves.

Nothing is more enjoyable than developing a character and deciding how that character will conduct in various situations.

When certain games allow for in-depth character development, we can freely express our creativity in the design process, which might otherwise be bland or uninteresting. We all enjoy a protagonist that we can identify, no judgment here!

Some characters are so memorable that they transcend the confines of video games.

The process of creating characters may be a lot of fun, here there are 7 golden tips to create the best videogame character:

1. Choose your archetype

Dive in! And very deep. It’s critical to have a clear idea of what you want from your character. This is a difficult process, so start with your character’s overall personality. Is your protagonist a morally upright, heroic figure? Is she a lonely glorious adventurer? Is he an old wise alchemist? Is it a devilish creature? Are they Treepoids alien plants coming to save the earth?

This might help you in defining certain limits and narrowing the scope of your brainstorming session.

2. Who dis? Define your character personality

People don’t act irrationally, and your character shouldn’t either. It’s critical to keep your character’s decisions and actions grounded in reality (your video game reality).

What’s your message? Researching and understanding how (and why) they will respond in various situations and what they want to communicate will be helpful for your character development.

3. Who did what? Create a strong backstory

A compelling backstory is crucial for a character and will guide the character’s behavior throughout the game. Even the most enigmatic characters show enough information to intrigue the player’s interest and make them want to learn more, and don’t be scared to go a bit wild! There is no limit to your fantasy.

4. Evoke Empathy or provoke

The character should be relatable to the player, show emotions, and, good or bad, be someone that the player can cheer for and identify with. Characters who lack these traits might come off as shallow, clichéd, or dull, but for sure boring, resulting in a terrible video game experience for the gamer.

5. The look counts! Characters esthetics

Players can identify with their on-screen avatars, so game designers can use dynamic character designs to provide additional nuances to video game experiences. A character’s form can be switched by changing their clothes, size, or gadgets, so don’t forget to accessorize!

Customization can add to the character’s overall essence and help the player immerse themselves even further in the game’s story (also funnier for cosplayers, so why not)

6. Relationship status: to be defined

Your characters’ interactions with others have an impact on how the player views them. Character design is more than just how they appear and speak. Are they good teammates? Do they help others? Are they non-player characters (NPCs)? Are they friendly as our Treepoids or are they anti-social? All of these connections will show even more who the characters are and how they function in their world, giving the player a greater understanding of their actions and behavior, or how could we fairly judge them?

7. Use your hands, back to the drawing

What makes a character strong? How can we look at their design and feel immediately drawn to it? it needs to be believable. This means you can, must, go crazy but be coherent. So, how can we make characters that are both intriguing and fun? Begin by sketching them! Make different versions of your character, but don’t get attached to it.

Your character should be based on what your story needs! Before even beginning writing, you may have a clear idea for most of your characters, but that can change, so don’t get too jealous, because you will be the god of your own world!

A Final Thought

The character should be enjoyable to play. Have fun! This is literally the whole purpose, and this doesn’t always imply a cheerful and upbeat nature. We love a good villain too! We’re talking about the player’s enjoyment. The character should be fun to play, watch, and listen to. Well-done character design will make the audience reflect on their interactions with that character and crave for more. So play, create and inspire!